FROM THE PASTOR
Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar
After church on Sunday morning, I will be leaving for the airport. I will travel with six GSPC members to Montreat, NC for our second gathering with the Thriving Congregations Program through Montreat Conference Center. In the past six months, the team has had numerous one-on-one conversations with our elders and deacons as well as others in the church. These will continue as we learn new skills to help us in discerning the interests of our congregants, the needs of our community, and the calling of God for GSPC in the coming years. The traveling team includes Bo Perry, Casi Callaway, John Browning, Buzzy Riis, Nicole Riis, Mary Herndon Nordmann.
As we prepare to leave on this adventure, I share once again the poem about GSPC that the group wrote when we last traveled to Montreat in October.
Government Street Presbyterian Church
We are a ship
anchored at port
on the Holy Spirit’s Bay.
Parked at the harbor of Government Street
with the righteous oaks' array.
Though hurricane winds
have taken our steeple,
and growth and change
have weathered our people,
with our mission we pledge to stay.
We’re called to serve,
in joyful spirit
as Christ leads the way.
For those who are found
and those who seek,
for those who hunger
and those who sleep
beneath our trees
of Mardi Gras beads;
it’s for those we reach and pray.
We are a ship in a port city;
a home to all kinds’a folks.
We are a church of service and love
with roots as strong as our oaks.
May the holy wind fill our sails
as we heed our call to love.
With joyful hearts
and glory to God,
may we serve our city belov’d.
I ask for your prayers for our church, our team, and our leaders in Montreat over the next week.
Grace and peace,
Rebekah
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This Sunday in Worship
Join us in worship this Sunday, March 19, the fourth Sunday of Lent, as the Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar preaches on "Healing" with text from John 9:1-41, with additional scripture that day from Psalm 23. Music will include the Sanctuary Choir singing the long-standing "God So Loved the World" from Sir John Stainer's The Crucifixion, and the beautiful Pie Jesu from Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem, with soprano soloist Gabrielle Corlette and boy soprano Carter Hale Jr.
Sunday Assistants for March 19
Clint Akers
Ashley Oswalt
Click below to view the bulletin for March 19:
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GSPC News
Take them a Meal: Alexandra and Jacob Hutson are home with baby Elsie. If you would like to take them a meal, please sign up at the link below. Meals can be delivered by you, or by the restaurant, depending on your choices. To order a meal, click here.
Easter Lilies: It’s time to order Easter lilies in honor of or in memory of loved ones. Please use the form printed in the church bulletin, or call the church office during business hours. The deadline is Tuesday, April 4.
Easter Egg Hunt: Mark your calendars for the GSPC Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 8, at 10 a.m. in Washington Square. It's going to be an eggs-cellent time of fun and fellowship!
Donation Day: The Presbyterian Home for Children in Talladega recently opened its new, 20,000-square-foot Thrift Store, which will provide expanded job skills training for the residents of the Home as well as the local deaf and blind citizens through a partnership with the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind. Spring Hill Presbyterian Church will host a Donation Day on Saturday, March 18, from 9 a.m. to noon, after which the donations will be transported to Talladega that same day. (There will be no drop offs or storage at SHPC before or after those designated times.) Please consider donating furniture, home decor, unique one-of-a-kind items, electronics, appliances (small or large in good working condition), and tools of all kinds. (Clothing items are not needed at this time). For details, please contact Ted Autterson at 251-510-5184 or ted.autterson@gmail.com.
Reminder to Parents: The Children of the Church will sing on Palm Sunday, April 2, and all children ages 3 to 5th grade are invited. Rehearsals are held weekly during their Sunday School time, 9:30-9:45 a.m. Attendance at rehearsal is necessary in order to learn our song, which tells the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, "… riding on a donkey's colt he came, palm branches spread before him." Questions? Contact Chris Nemec at chris@gspcmobile.org.
Service Project: The Youth and Club 345 are invited to come to Fellowship Hall right after worship this Sunday to make sandwiches for our Meals on Wheels clients.
Circle of Joy and Circle of Hope: These two Circles will have a joint meeting at the
Guesnard House on Monday, March 20, at 5:30 p.m. Jeanie Lindsey will lead the lesson. Please bring a dish or beverage to share.
Sunday Assistants Needed: The Diaconate is seeking volunteers to help fill the Sunday Assistant slots each week. If you are willing to be added to a list of possible substitutes, please email Diaconate Chair Lisa Goodloe at lgoodloe@comcast.net. This list of substitutes will be a resource for the Deacons to use in the event of a scheduling conflict. Thank you!
Community News
Ready for spring gardening? You can support horticulture programs at Mobile County Public Schools and find some great bargains at the same time! Spring plant sales have begun at Bryant Career Technical Center and Mary G. Montgomery High School. The plants are cultivated by students, and proceeds benefit the horticulture programs. Visit the MGM Academy of Agribusiness FB page and the Bryant Career Technical Center Horticulture Program FB page for hours and payment information. (Typical hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays.)
First Baptist Church's Inaugural "Baptist Voices" Lecture Series: All are invited to join our friends at First Baptist Church of Mobile on Sunday, March 26 at 5:00 PM to hear Jonathan Merritt, a popular writer on issues of faith and culture. He is the author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words are Vanishing--And How We Can Revive Then. Child care is provided and the event is free and open to all.
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Talking Heads
This Sunday School class meets each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Heltzel Room on the second floor. The class is studying the book “Wholehearted Faith,” written by Rachel Held Evans with Jeff Chu.
Sunday Book Study
9:30 a.m. in the Church Library. The group is studying the Interpretation Bible Series "Romans."
Sunday School for Children and Youth
Sunday School for Children and Youth begins at 9:30 a.m. each week.
Spring Hill Women Bible Study
Tuesdays at 8 a.m. at the home of Ann Adams. The group is studying Genesis.
Tuesdays at Ten Bible Study
The Tuesdays at Ten Bible Study meets at 10 a.m. at the church. The group will continue its study of the Psalms and the sermon text for the following week. For details, contact Mary Elizabeth Perry.
Men's Bible Study
The Wednesday night Men’s Bible Study meets on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in the church library and also via Zoom. Study of lectionary or sermon texts. Contact: Bo Perry.
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Opportunities for Service
Please remember the people our church is serving and those who work with them daily in your prayers.
Help for Ukraine
The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program is our denomination's means for helping in times of disaster and crisis. The PC(USA) is in touch with our partner churches in Ukraine, Russia, Poland and Hungary. While it is difficult to get funds into Ukraine, the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance workers are doing their best to meet needs. In addition, they are sending supplies to partners in Hungary and Poland to help with the mounting refugee crisis in those countries. If you would like to help, you may give online or by text. https://pda.pcusa.org/situation/ukraine/
PB&J for Meals on Wheels
Our 45 Meals on Wheels recipients receive a sack lunch each day, along with a hot meal. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are often on the menu, and donations of creamy peanut butter and grape jelly are needed to help fill the pantry. Our clients also receive an individually wrapped snack, and snack donations are needed: peanut butter/cheese crackers, chips, cookies, cereal bars, Cheez-its, etc. Please leave your Meals on Wheels donations in the donation box at the Jackson Street entrance.
McKemie Place
GSPC has agreed to provide lunch for up to 45 residents at McKemie Place on the second Friday of each month. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered for this mission over the last year. We are in need of volunteers to provide, prepare, and serve lunches on April 14 and May 12. If you can help with this mission on any of these dates, please contact Lisa deShazo at 251-591-1077.
In addition, the residents of McKemie Place are in need of luggage to carry their belongings when they are able to leave the shelter. Please bring your donations of gently used luggage to the church office.
Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies
How Can You Support Barton Academy?
- Send monetary gifts to the church to provide assistance to families purchasing uniforms. Checks should have the memo "Uniform Assistance."
- Bring the following items to stock a Hygiene Closet for the school: Clorox wipes, Tissue, Deodorant, Black socks, Paper Towels, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste.
The Mobile Area Interfaith Conference (MAIC) is a non-profit agency that provides services for inmates in Metro Jail and released inmates returning to the community. This agency was formerly known as the Council of Downtown Churches, of which GSPC was a major participant. MAIC currently has an urgent need for white underwear (see details in the listing below) and used glasses. Below is a list of needed items:
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Personal hygiene products for men and women, including full size shampoo and conditioner (must be able to see through the containers), full size deodorant (no roller balls), full size soap, full size toothpaste, white cotton socks (no anklet style);
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Clothing, including men's white cotton briefs or boxers (no snaps), white cotton T-shirts with sleeves (men and women use these, so all sizes welcome), women's white cotton underpants (all sizes), women's white cotton bras (all sizes);
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Reading material, including Bibles (softbound only, large print editions especially needed), magazines with neutral content such as food, decorating, self-improvement, health, shopping, geography, history, etc., and books (soft bound only, with mild non-violent content, non-fiction also appreciated).
- Small containers of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and soap are also welcome.
If you have any questions about any of these missions, please contact Lisa deShazo, Chair of the Urban Ministries Committee.
Blanket Ministry: All are invited to donate baby blankets to be delivered to the Mostellar Clinic. Inexpensive items of any baby-appropriate washable fabric or yarn are appreciated. No large items, please: The babies we serve usually average 3-5 lbs. Store-bought or handmade items are welcomed. Donations may be left in the “Baby Box” at the Jackson Street Foyer, or you may order from Amazon and request delivery to the church, marked “Blanket Ministry.”
Habitat for Humanity SW Alabama here in Mobile is looking for volunteers to help out – just yourself, or a group. Our volunteers come out on Wednesday through Saturday. Hours are 7:45 a.m. to noon. What a great way to focus on team-building with your co-workers and friends!
Please email and let me know when you would like to be added to the Habitat calendar for 2023.
In Partnership,
Sue C. King
Habitat for Humanity SW Alabama
Development Coordinator
3712 Airport Blvd.
251-476-7171, Ext. 229
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Parking lot
We suggest that all of our members park in the GSPC lot, double parking if necessary. If you wish to park in the lot next to GSPC's, you will need to pay $5 for 3 hours of parking.
The State of Alabama has begun issuing new tag plates with current year tag renewals. Please make sure that you update your new tag number as you receive them. You may submit new information at this link, or to the church office.
Premium Parking is handling our parking lot revenue. The company has added a service kiosk next to the Guesnard House patio entrance.
Please remember to update us if you have a new tag and or vehicle.
Please remember:
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GSPC members park for free in the lot at all times.
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If you have not registered, you may do so at online at gspcmobile.org/parking
- If you have difficulty registering your vehicle online, please contact Heather or Barbara in the church office.
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If you receive a ticket, do not pay it. Please bring the ticket or send a picture of it to Heather or Barbara in the church office and they will take care of it.
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